Tribe's Sabathia in line to cash in Saturday, January 13, 2007Paul HoynesPlain Dealer Reporter

The free-agent pitching market this holiday season turned into the gift that keeps on giving for C.C. Sabathia.

Free agents Gil Meche ($55 million for five years), Ted Lilly ($40 million, four years), Jason Schmidt ($46 million, three years) and Mike Mussina ($23 million, two years) signed before Christmas. So did Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka, reaching a six- year, $52.5 million deal with Boston.

Then came the biggie. The one Santa couldn't de liver Christ mas Eve be cause the chimney was too narrow. On Jan. 2, San Francisco signed Barry Zito to a seven-year, $126 million contract.

Sabathia hasn't stopped smiling since.

Zito enters this season with 95 victories, the second most by a left-hander in the last six years. Sabathia, a left-hander with 81 victories over the same period, should be beyond Zito's win total after the 2008 season when he's eligible for free agency.

"Definitely excited," said Sabathia, when asked how he reacted to the recent signings.

"Hopefully, I can stay healthy and be in the position those guys are in."

The Indians have Sabathia under contract through 2008. He'll make $8.75 million this season and $9 million in 2008.

"I'm always open to that," said Sabathia. "I've been here my whole career. I grew up here. I would definitely sit down and talk about it."

Sabathia, who returned to California on Friday, was in Cleveland to get his surgically repaired right knee examined. Indians trainers also wanted to check his conditioning.

"My knee is about 80 percent," said Sabathia.

Sabathia, looking fit, said he'll be ready to open spring training when pitchers and catchers report to Winter Haven, Fla., on Feb. 15. He's been throwing since November and has been cleared to start running.

Westbrook can be a free agent after this upcoming season. Hafner, like Sabathia, will be eligible for free agency after the 2008 season.

Sabathia said the Indians would have to make a significant offer to get him to sign an extension.

"It's going to be tough, not just for me, but for Jake and [Hafner], too," said Sabathia. "The people around here are going to have some tough decisions to make in the next two years."

Sabathia says one of the factors in negotiations will be the Tribe's ability to win.

"Everyone wants to play for a winner," he said. "I'm always going to have feelings for this place. I know everyone from top to bottom."

Sabathia said a desire to pitch closer to his home in Vallejo, Calif., is not an overriding factor.

"I want to be in a place where I'm comfortable," said Sabathia. "I feel comfortable here. I own a home here. This is like home, too.

"I've got a lot of thinking to do. I'm going to talk to my wife. Talk to my mom. So when the time comes, I'll be ready."

Sabathia, 26, was still in the minors when Manny Ramirez left the Indians through free agency following the 2000 season. He was in his second year when Jim Thome left the same way at the end of the 2002 season.

He said he hoped the Indians could make a commitment to him to make him stay.

"I know they went after Thome," said Sabathia. "They made the effort. So it's up to the player.

he ahs loyalties to the club is Cleveland through and through and really will take a discount. Thats not to say we'll sign him but out of the 3 he'll most likely be willing to sign an extension rather than go into the FA pool.

the easiest guy to re-sing would be Hafner given that we would only have competition from 14 other teams (no DH in NL) and he wont command a Carlos Lee salary given that he is only a DH.

Shapiros whole 'plan' is built around creating a strong nucleus of players within the organization so it would make no sense for him to let these players walk without a fight.

"There is but one thing of real value: to cultivate truth and justice and to live without anger in the midst of lying and unjust men"

resigning sabathia will be nearly impossible. He will command ~20million per year and the Indians cannot afford that. End of story, enjoy him for two more years.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Danny, lets start with the fact that the Indians are perpetually on the record as saying they are philosophically opposed to tying up that large of a chunk of their payroll on one guy.

Seondly ... Belle, Ramirez, Thome, Colon.

Thirdly, CC has done nothing but publicly gloat over the contracts signed by Zito and Schmidt. He doesn't sound much like a guy willing to give a "hometown discount" to me. Sure, he's throwing out the obligatory "Sure I'd love to stay here".

The worst part is that I wish I could blame Dolan for being unable to sign C.C., but it is not going to be his fault. The Tribe will not be able to spend more than 75mill-80mill in payroll, and under those constraints, resigning Sabathia is impossible. Between C.C., and Hafner, that would 1/2 of the tribes entire payroll. You cannot compete that way.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Agreed Furls. I think the play here for the Tribe is to resign Hafner and deal CC.

Hafner won't command CC like money. He can't play the field, which means only 14 teams, not 30 can bid for him, which will keep his price slighly lower.

When to deal CC though? The sooner you do it, the more you get, as he has two years ticking on his current, cap friendly deal. Now? This summer at the deadline? Next off-season? Or take it all the way up next years deadline?

The answer may be tied to what the team ultimately does with Westbrook, who is a FA at years end. Sowers and Lee are the only two current rotation members who are still under contract through '09 and beyond.

I think you have to assess where the tribe is at the deadline this year. If they are competing they have to pull out all the stops and make a push for the World Series. Doing this may generate enough revenue in 2008 to resign Sabathia (I doubt it, but hey). If they can re-energize the fan base with terrific play this season and get attendance up into the 30k per game range, than maybe that salary total moves to 90m.

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

In this market, if you could get him to sign for 15million per you would be my idol. I understand "time value of money" and what not, but 15 million? I get that he would be getting a raise of about 12 million over the next two years, but that deal would cost him $25million on the back end. That also assumes that he would go for 20million per year. I would not be surprised to see him get more. Lefties with 98MPH fastballs and the ability to go deep in games are worth whatever the big markets are willing to overpay for them.

I think we will get a better idea of C.C.'s value when Santana signs. I would put his floor in excess of Zito's and his ceiling below Santana's (which I would not be surprised to see in the 23-25million ball park).

Coming from a Wolverine, we're the football equivalent of a formerly abused wife of a meth addict who just remarried the safe nice guy. We're just glad we have someone who's aware that it's a rivalry and that tackling on defense is integral. Baby steps.

Sabathia's deal won't be re-strucutered. Not only is he going to go for the $$$ in FA, but this is his prime opportunity to get a large deal in the amount of years. Sure, tearing up his current contract would give him more in 2007 and 2008.....but if it is a 5 year deal, it is only adding 3 years to his current deal guaranteed.

By letting his current deal mature, he can tack on a 6-7 year deal with more gauranteed money.

THink about it....what is better: 5 years at $80M for 2007-2011? Or, including his current deal, 9 years and $150M?

This may seem off topic but don't you think that MLB should divide the teams into big market/small market leagues. With this in mind the Tribe competes against teams of like finances for the majority of the season and when the playoffs roll around (World Series) the competition is more level by being reduced to a 7 game series. The Tribe will never be able to compete for the big $ guys because of market constraints. Obviously these guys (players and union and agents) want to maximize income because of the fragile nature of their productive years. Just a thought.

Loyalty has been gone from the game for years, and it isn't the players fault. To assume any team, anywhere is going to be on the receiving end of a hometown discount is misguided. The guy will be foolishly overpaid just like Gil Meche was. Cleveland's problem is that he's 20 times better than Gil Meche.